Box-lid fastener.



R. D. SMITH. BOX LID FASTBNBB. APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. so, 1909.

965,043. `Patented July 19,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R u (M 55u/wanton Witwen-oas. M 53M R.- D. SMITH.

BOX LID FASTENER.

APPLIUATION HLED SEPT. so, 190e.

Patented July 19, 1910.

z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 19, 1910.

Application filed September 30, 1909. Serial No. 520,321.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD D. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bristol city, in the county of lashington and State ofVirginia, have invented a newl and useful Box-Lid Fastener, of which thefollowing is a specification. j

This invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficientlocking device fol securing the lids of journal boxes, in order toprevent tampering with, or the unauthorized removal from the box, of thepacking or brasses.

The invention made in the wall of the box on the inside thereof,adjacent to the lower end of the opening over which the lid fits. In theother end of the stud, on the outside of the lid, is an annular groove15 which is enby the branches 9 of the forked end of the spring 7. Inthis end of the stud is also made a socket 16 adapted to receive a key17 for turning the stud, to engage and thereof. This key may as shown,the socket being shaped accordingly. If desired any other form of keymay be provided.

Over the socket is placed a guard coinprising a metal strip 18 which isriveted or otherwise secured to the face of the lid, one

also has for its object to provide a locking device which can be readilyapplied to any standard hinged journal box lid, no alteration ormodification in the structure thereof being necessary.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in a novelconstruction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described andclaimed, reference being had to the drawings hereto annexed, in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical section view of one form of journal box, its lid,and the locking device. Fig'. 2 is a front elevation of the lid. Fig. 3is a perspective view o-f the key. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on theline 4`4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a journalbox, its lid and a modified form of locking device. Fig. 6 is a frontelevation of the lid shown in the last ligure. Fig. 7 is an enlargedsection on the line 7`7 of Fig. 5.

In Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, 5 denotes a journal box, and 6 is thehinged lid thereof, said lid being fitted with the usual spring 7 forholding it in place. In the present instance, this spring is madesomewhat longer than usual, and is rigidly secured intermediate its endsby a rivet 0r the same, and has an aperture 19 correto the stud socket,to inserted thereinto, and

is locked.

The lid is locked and unlocked by inserting the key into the socket, andturning the stud. In locked position the rib 13 seats in the groove 14,whereby the lid is securely locked. The spring' 7 binds the shoulder 11against the inner face of the lid, and retains the rib 13 in the groove14, and thus prevents accidental turning of the stud, so that it willnot be jarred into unlocked position. After locking the lid, the key isremoved The lock herein described effectually serves the purpose forwhich it is designed and the box is made dust-proof by locking it. Thelock is simple in structure, and it can be readily applied to anystandard hinged lid, no change or modification in the structure of thelid be other fastening means 8. The lid has a hole, In Figs. 5 to 7 aslightly modified form as usual, through which one end of the of lock isshown, the journal box bein@ indispring passes into the journal box, theother cated at 20, and the lid at 21. The lid spring end of the springbeing located on the outside of the lid, and extending down to a pointadjacent to its lower or free edge. This end of the spring is notched toform a fork, the branches of which are indicated at 9.

Adjacent at its lower or free end, the lid ias an opening in which ismounted a rotatable stud 10 having at one end a shoulder 11 adapted toengage the inner surface of the lid, and a wing 12 having on one side, arib 18 adapted to be seated in a groove 14 22 is secured to the underside of the lid, and does not pass through a hole therein as in theconstruction rst described, and also is not elongated, but is of theusual length. As in the first instance, the lid carries at its lower orfree end a rotatable st-ud 23 mounted in an opening in the lid. The studhas a shoulder 24 at one end adapted to engage the inner surface of thelid, and a wing 25 having on one side a rib adapted to be seated in agroove made' in the wall of the box on the inside thereof, adjacent thelower end 0f 7"? termediate its ends,

ing a key responding in shape the stud having akey socket, a wing on thestud engageable with the wall of the box on the inside thereof, and aspring engageable with the stud for binding the aforesaid shoulderagainst the inner face of the lid, and retaining the stud in lockingposition.

3. The combination with a journal box lid, of a shouldered rotatablestud carried thereby, said stud having a key socket in its outer end,and an annular groove, a wing on the inner end of the stud engageablewith the wall of the box on the inside thereof, and a spring having aforked end, the branches of the fork entering the groove of the stud,for binding the shoulder of the stud against the inner face of the lid,and retaining the stud in locking position.

4. The combination with a journal box lid, of a shouldered rotatablestud carried thereby, said stud having a key socket in its outer end,and an annular groove, a wing on the inner end of the stud enga geablewith the wall of the box on the inside thereof, and a guard stripfitting over the socketed end of the stud, said strip having an aperturecorresponding in shape to that of the key socket, the strip beingsecured to the lid, and bowed outwardly therefrom to clear the socketedend of the stud, one end of the strip being folded, and terminating in aspring tongue located under the bowed portion of the strip, and having aforked end, the branches of the fork entering the groove of the stud,for binding the shoulder thereof against the inner face of the lid, andretaining the stud in locking position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto alixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD D. SMITH.

the opening over which the lid fits. In the other end of the stud, onthe outside of the lid, is an annular groove 26 which is entered by thebranches of the forked end of a spring tongue 27. lIn this end of thestud is also made a socket 28 adapted to receive a key for turning thestud, to engage and disengage the wing thereof. The spring tongue 27 isformed integral with a guard strip 29 extending in a curve across thesocketed end of the stud. The guard is a spring metal strip which isriveted or otherwise secured at one end to the lid, and is folded at theother end, as indicated at 30. The folded portion is riveted orotherwise secured to the lid, so as to leave a free portion which formsthe spring tongue. Inthe strip is bowed outwardly from the socketed endof the stud to clear the same, and has an aperture corresponding inshape to the socket, to permit the key to be inserted thereinto, andremoved after the lid is locked.

The operation of the lock last described is the same as the one shown inFigs. l to et, the spring tongue 27 having the saine function as thespring 7. This form of lock can alsoV be applied to a lid having nospring.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a journal box lid, of a rotatable stud carriedthereby, and havsocket in its outer end, a wing on the inner end of thestud engageable with the wall of the box on the inside thereof, and aguard strip over the socketed end of the stud, said strip having anaperture corto that of the key socket.

2. The combination with a ournal box lid, of a rotatable stud carriedthereby, said stud having a shoulder engageable with the inner face ofthe lid, and the outer end of IlVitnesses N. C. GALLIHER, JAS. II.LEONARD.

